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Vacation Lessons

by Mary Stella on February 17, 2013

I’m typing this on the plane to Miami. It’s hard to believe my wonderful vacation is over!

I just scanned through the more than 300 photos I have on my camera. Once I sort through them, I’ll upload more, particularly from adventures I couldn’t share here because I didn’t get shots with my phone.

We toured the historic site at Pearl Harbor yesterday. It was too windy to go to the USS Arizona memorial but we walked through all of the other exhibits, following the excellent audio tour. This site is extremely well done. I understand the events of December 7, 1941 and the aftermath with far greater insight than before.

In one spot is a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that talks about the fact that every day there are men who give their lives for us. (In present day that would be men and women.). Mrs Roosevelt reflects on how important it is to be sure that we are worth dying for.

Everything that I did on this vacation brought home to me in grand, celebratory style, that I have made my life over. This isn’t to say that I wasn’t worthy before, but I know that I was not appreciating life to its fullest potential.

I had chained and restrained myself with food and my weight. This past week, I experienced a joyous freedom and new spirit. I stepped off a platform and soared through a forest. I zoomed over waves and swam in warm seas, at water level with ocean creatures. I hiked down into and out of a volcanic crater and felt its hot breath.

I couldn’t have done these things before. Now I can. I am stronger and more capable than I have ever been and each day I become more so.

Opportunity is everywhere. I will no longer squander it.

Beyond checking things off of my promise list, these are powerful lessons to integrate. They are strong platforms on which to grow.

All wonderful, Mary. You are an inspiration.. and I’m so happy for all you are experiencing, and have a heart full of hope that some of those amazing things will come true for me, too. Welcome home, dear friend!

Welcome back from vacation! I’m so glad that you had such a splendid time. I think it’s fabulous that you gained such cool insights. Mrs. Roosevelt’s quote is worth thinking about and taking to heart. How many of us live our lives fully? How many of us stop to think about what a gift it is to live at all?

Thanks for sharing these thoughts with us. I’ll be thinking of them for a while.